Container lid



P. DAVIS CONTAINER LID March 19, 1968 Filed Jan. 5, 1966 FIG. 3

' INVENTOR BY. PAUL DAVIS I AT ORN YS 3,373,896 Patented Mar. 19, 1968 3,373,896 CONTAINER LID Paul Davis, Beverly, Mass., assignor to Sweetheart Plastics, Inc., Wilmington, Mass., a corporation of Maryland Filed Jan. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 518,054 Claims. (Cl. 22060) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Recessed container covers of improved design are provided for use with tub-type containers. The recessed covers define an overfill channel and preferably define complementary stacking means enabling positive stacking and rapid release of an individual cover from a stack.

In the packaging of foods such as ice cream and the like, it is customary to employ a flush cover wherein the top wall of the cover lies in the plane of the upper edge of the container rim. The containers are filled to the top of the rim, and very often the center of the more viscous foodstuffs is actually higher than the rim, which causes the central portion of the cover to bulge upwardly. This condition generally distorts the package, lessens its attractiveness, and makes the stacking of filled packages difiicult. This also exerts a constant force tending to lift the cover from the container, often to a point where the ice cream is exposed.

One important object of this invention is to provide a recessed container cover for foods such as ice cream.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a recessed cover for containers, which provides a substantial volume for overfill so that the diaphragm portion of the cover does not distort.

Yet another important object of this invention is to provide a cover having a low stacking height and which may be separated from a stack of identical covers in automatic feeding equipment.

To accomplish these and other objects, the cover of this invention comprises a substantially horizontal circular diaphragm wall of a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the container for which the cover is designed. An inverted U-shaped channel encircles the circular wall with the lower edge of the inner side wall of the channel being integral with the side edge of the circular wall. The channel has a width which very substantially exceeds the width of the rim of the container for which it is designed, and when the cover is mounted on the container the outer side wall of the channel engages the side of the rim. Consequently, the inner side wall of the channel is spaced appreciably inward of the container rim so as to define a chamber to receive the overfill of the container.

These and other objects and features of this invention along with its incident advantages will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of several embodiments thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container andcoven constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the cover and container shown in FIG. 1 with a second container stacked above it;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the section FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and showing another embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 1 a container 10 is shown having a side wall 12 which is slightly flared in an upwardly direction, a bottom wall 14 and a rim 16 shown more clearly in FIG. 2, closed by a cover 20. It will be noted in FIG. 1 that the cover has a circular central wall 22 which is recessed within the rim of the container and surrounded by an inverted U-shaped channel 24 having an inside wall 26, an outside wall 28 and atop wall 30.

The container rim 16 includes a top substantially horizontal flange 32 and a downturned skirt 34. The rim shown is not rolled as is conventionally found in drinking containers but rather terminates at a relatively sharp lower edge 36 which is spaced from the outer surface 38 of the side wall 12. However, it is obvious that the rim may be rolled.

The container 10 is designed to be filled to the height of the step 39 formed at the top of the side wall 12. It is evident in FIG. 2 that the circular wall 22 of the lid 20 has its lower surface 41 in the plane of the upper surface of the step 39 and therefore the lower surface 41 will contact the container contents if filled to that level. The lid 20 is particularly designed to accommodate excess material introduced into the container above the height of the shoulder 39. It will be recognized that it is extremely diflicult to control precisely the filling operation of containers, and consequently food processors regularly have a tendency to overfill containers in order to assure that all containers carry at least the amount attributed to them on the label. This practice of overfilling the containers causes distortion of the flush lids as described in the introduction.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be noted that a substantial gap exists between the inner surface 42 of the upper portion of the side wall 12 which defines the rim 16 of the container and the outer surface 44 of the inside wall 26 of the channel 24. The space between those surfaces defines a chamber 46 which can accommodate the excess material or overfill placed in the container 10 during the filling operation. The annular chamber 46 in a lid designed for a 4%" diameter one pint container can accommodate approximately one ounce of liquid. It will be appreciated that a one ounce chamber for overfill is a very substantial size: 7

In FIG. 2 the outer wall 28 of the channel 24 is shown provided with a bead 47 on its inner surface. which bead 47 fits beneath the lower edge 36 of the skirt 34 of the rim 16 to hold the lid in place on the rim. A shoulder 50 is provided on the outside wall 28 somewhat above the bead 47 which shoulder 50 engages the junction of the upper portion of the skirt 34 and the outer edge of the flange 32. Thus, the skirt 34 fits snugly between the bead 47 and the shoulder 50 so as to define a seat for the lid when placed on the container.

The horizontal top wall 30 of the channel 24 is spaced above the flange 32 of the rim, which adds to the capacity of the channel 46 for overfill when the lid is placed on the container. It will be noted in FIG. 2 that the gap, between the outer surface 44 of the wall 26 of the channel and the inner surface 49 of the outer wall 28, is substantially more than twice the width of the rim 16 of the lid measured between the outer surface of the skirt 34 and the inner surface 42 of the wall 12, so that substantially more than half the channel is able to receive the overfill.

Vertical ribs 54 and radial ribs 56 are provided on the outer surface of the outside wall 28 and the upper surface of the top wall 30 of the channel 24, respectively. The ribs 54 and 56 add stiffness to the outside and top walls, respectively, and also enhance the attractiveness of the lid. FIGURE 3 illustrates the configuration of the ribs 56 and both ribs 54 and 56 may have the same cross section.

The inner wall 26 of the channel 24 is slightly flared at its top in an upward direction. .The upper slightly flared portion 58 of the wall joins sharply flared section 60 at horizontal shoulder 62. Thus, the side wall 26 of the channel is made up of the portions 58, 60 and 62. The sharply flared portion 60 serves as a cam to facilitate separation of lids when nested one upon the other. In FIG. 4 the relationship between two stacked covers, a and 20b is shown. The parts of the covers 2011 and 201) are identified with a and b designations. It will be noted that when the flange 64a formed on the bottom of the outside wall 281; of the channel of cover 20a sits on the top of the side wall 28b of the cover 20b below, the upper edge 68b of the rib 56b is disposed beneath the horizontal shoulder 62 on the inside wall of the cover 29a. Consequently, the only contact between adjacent lids is at the flange 64 and the top of the outside channel wall. The lower lid of a stack therefore may be pushed horizontally or sliced to the side of the lids above merely by slightly distorting the outside wall 28. There is no interference at the inside walls of the lids in the stack which would add to the force required to achieve the distortion.

As the lower lid 20b of the two shown in FIG. 4 is moved horizontally with respect to the lid 20a above, the inner end of the top edge 68b of the rib 56b will engage the sharply flared portion 60a of the inside wall 2611 which will tend to pivot or raise the lids above and allow the lid 2% being removed to pass reltaively freely from the stack. Thus, the inner edge of the ribs on the top wall and the sharply flared portion of the inside wall serve as a cam and actuator to separate one lid from others in a stack above.

In FIG. 2 it will be noted that the sharply flared wall 60 also defines the margin of a seat for a container stacked on top of the cover and serves as a guide to orient the container coaxially on the circular wall 22. The bead 7% on the bottom wall 14 of the container sits on the wall 22, and the edge of the bottom wall is just within the wall 60. Thus, the recessed cover provides a stable seat for the container above when stacked one on the other, unlike flush covers which provide no clearly defined limits for them.

The lid shown is preferably molded of a relatively flexible plastic material such as polyethylene and has a wall thickness of approximately .031". A lid for a one pint container having a diameter of approximately 4 /8" may weigh approximately 13.5 grams.

The embodiment of FIG. 5 differs from that shown in FIGS. 1-4 only in the manner in which the lid cooperates with the lip of the container to seal the container closed. In the embodiment of FIGS. 14, the rim 16 of the container forms a seal with the lid on the outside wall 28 of the channel 24. The upper wall of the channel is spaced above the flange 32 of the lid. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the channel 100 forms a seal with the rim 16 of the container at the flange 32 as well as the skirt 34. It will be noted in FIG. 5 that the top wall 102 of the channel 160 engages the flange 32 of the rim 16, and bead 104 in the outside wall 106 of the channel 100 is at a higher position than the bead 46 in the first embodiment so as to lock the rim 16 in the position shown when the lid is applied. The channel 100 of the cover in FIG. 5 provides an overfill chamber 108 between the wall 12 of the container and the inside wall 110 of the channel, just as in the other embodiment.

The other features of the lid in the embodiment of FIG. 5 are characteristically the same as those in the first embodiment. The lid nests with other identical lids in substantially the same manner as described above, and the outside wall 106 and the top wall 102 of the channel carry stiffening ribs as in the other embodiment. The

vertical and radial ribs 112 and 114, respectively, are somewhat larger than in the first embodiment, but functionally they perform the same way. In the embodiment of FIG. 5 an annular wall 116 is shown to extend upwardly from the outer edge of the horizontal wall 102 of the channel which annular wall defines a shallow well to enclose the ends of the radial ribs 114. The wall 116 adds some additional stiffness to the lid. There are slight differences in the configuration of the cover of each embodiment, but they do not change their function. For example, in FIG. 5 the wall is shown to be composed of sharply and slightly flared sections without an intervening step. However, the sharply flared section acts as a cam just as in the first embodiment.

From the foregoing description those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications may be made of this invention without departing from its spirit. Therefore, it is not intended to limit the breadth of this invention to the two embodiments illustrated and described. Rather, it is intended that the invention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination a recessed cover and a container, said container having a bottom wall, an outwardly flared side wall and a rim with said side wall extending upwardly from the bottom and defining substantially a cylinder at said rim, said cover comprising,

a substantially horizontal circular wall of a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the container for which it is designed and positioned below said rim when said cover is in its closed position on said container,

21 side wall extending upwardly from the periphery of the circular wall substantially parallel to the upper cylindrical portion of the side wall of said container and spaced therefrom when the cover is on said container,

at top wall member extending outwardly from the top of the side wall and of a width to span the rim, and

a skirt member extending downwardly from the outer edge of the flange and surrounding the rim, at least one of said members engaging the rim and forming a seal therewith when the cover closes the container and complementary means on said cover for stacking a plurality of like covers with only their skirt members in contact with each other.

2. A recessed cover for a container having bottom and side walls and a rim comprising a substantially horizontal circular wall of a diameter substantially less than the diameter of an upstanding substantially cylindrical side wall of a container for which it is designed,

and an inverted U-shaped channel encircling the circular wall with the lower edge of the inner side wall of the channel being integral with the side edge of the circular wall and spacing said circular wall below said rim when said cover is positioned on a container, said channel having an inner width dimension more than twice the width of the rim with the inner diameter of the outer side wall of the channel being dimensioned to engage the outer edge of the rim to create a substantial gap between the inner wall of the channel and the inner surface of the rim.

3. A cover as defined in claim 2 further characterized said channel having a top wall connecting the two side walls and spaced entirely apart from the top of the rim of the container when the cover is on said container, said inner side wall having a camming surface at its bottom positioned to be engaged by the top of the channel of an adjacent cover in a stack when said covers are stacked, to lift said cover upon radial movement with respect to the axis of the stacked covers.

5 4. A cover as defined in claim 3 further characterized by said cover being made of polyethylene and having a wall thickness approximately .031". 5. A cover as defined in claim 2 further characterized y a bead provided on the inner surface of the outside channel wall and adapted to engage the lower edge of the rim of the container when the cover is on said container and complementary means on said cover for nesting a plurality of like covers in a stack with only their skirt members in contact with each other. 6. A cover as defined in claim 5 further characterized y a shoulder provided on the inner surface of the outside channel wall and adapted to engage the upper edge of the rim of the container when the cover is on said container. 7. A cover as defined in claim 2 further characterized y said cover being made of relatively thin flexible plastic material, and stiffening ribs formed as an integral partof the outside channel and top walls for stiffening them. 8. A cover as defined in claim 2 further characterized y the outer wall of the channel being provided with a step adjacent its top to support the bottom of the outer Wall of an identical cover when they are nested, said inner wall being free of contact with the inner 5 wall of the identical cover when they are nested.

9. A cover as defined in claim 8 further characterized y the inner wall having a camming surface at its bottom positioned to be engaged by the top of the channel of the cover below to lift said cover when the cover below is moved radially with respect to the axis of the nested covers. 10. A cover as defined in claim 9 further characterized y 15 said cover being made of polyethylene and having a wall thickness approximately .031".

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,147,879 9/1964 Scholtz 220 60 3,176,868 4/1965 Crisci 220 60 3,269,588 8/1966 Ruekberg 220 60 25 DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

JAMES B. MARBERT, Examiner. 

